Chapter 10: Feast.
Mark was completely petrified. He felt his bladder loosening but had no will to stop its contents from leaking. The lizardmen raised their heads and released blood-curdling roars.
Despite the incomprehensible sounds they made, Mark felt that they were cheering and celebrating.
A giant reptilian body. Claws that could carve through buildings. Jaws that could crush several humans at once. A thick and long tail that could flatten anything with a single swing, and wings so large they cast shadows over several city blocks.
The black dragon was as majestic as it was terrifying, but that image didn't start and end with its appearance. The presence it permeated was suffocating, like an invisible force pressing on anything that dared to look its way.
It was the sensation of being in the vicinity of a predator one couldn't hope to beat or escape.
As he gazed at it in terrified awe, Mark noticed something that stood out even with its proximity to the majestic creature.
From the shape alone it appeared like a crown; a glowing red ornament with sharp points and edges. However, the way it hovered over the black dragon's head made it seem like a halo. A demonic one that inspired nothing but fear and terror.
The dragon folded its massive wings and looked down at the gathered humans. If any of them had been awake before, the pressure emanated by the otherworldly monster was enough to knock them out. But that might've been for the better as no one would want to be conscious of what is about to take place.
Without delay, the dragon plunged its head into the pile of inert people. Digging its fangs into the ground, it scooped most of them in one go, crushed everything between its mighty jaws then swallowed with an audible gurgle. Mark watched it happen for the second time.